When I met Grade 5 teacher Mark, he came to me with an exciting idea: He wanted me to work with him to teach creative writing through Minecraft in the classroom. I signed him up as my dissertation student in my Master of Education course, and over the following year we got to work on our project.
Minecraft is a sandbox computer game. It is a game that doesn’t have pre-set linear timelines, missions, or goals for players to follow. I like to think of Minecraft as a digital version of LEGOs. Players use base blocks to build imaginary worlds and characters.
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In fact, Minecraft is an incredibly versatile game where players can build whatever they like. One student might create a fortress, another might create a model of a fruit bowl. The control is in the hands of the learner.
About the Author:
Chris Drew has a PhD in education and researches the cognitive benefits of educational technologies. He writes on his personal blog at: https://helpfulprofessor.com. Mark Ellison is a school teacher in the North-East of England. Mark earned his MA in education for his project on learning with Minecraft. The project was conducted in accordance with university ethics committee requirements.
